Sustainable growth and water cycle studies

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Sustainable growth and water cycle studies
Andy McConkey, principal consultant,
Halcrow Paul Hickey, growth and equivalence
manager, Anglian Water Gerard Stewart,
sustainable development policy officer,
Environment Agency
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What is a water cycle study?

• A water cycle study is a partnership project to
  integrate urban regeneration and development with
  water environment constraints, and water services
  infrastructure planning to help achieve more
  sustainable urban development

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What is a water cycle study?

• A water cycle study is a partnership project to
  ensure
• Houses are built in the most sustainable location
  with respect to the water environment
• Development makes best use of existing
  infrastructure, and new infrastructure is planned
  strategically

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What is a water cycle study?

• A water cycle study is a partnership project to
  ensure
• Houses are built in the most sustainable location
  with respect to the water environment
• Development makes best use of existing
  infrastructure, and new infrastructure is planned
  strategically
• Urban development and growth is within
  environmental capacity

Discharge limits will become more restrictive
under the European Water Framework DirectiveThe
Directive requires no deterioration from
current water status and local authorities will
need to take this into account in their water
cycle strategies.
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What is a water cycle study?

• A water cycle study is a partnership project to
  ensure
• Houses are built in the most sustainable location
  with respect to the water environment
• Urban development and growth is within
  environmental capacity
• Development makes best use of existing
  infrastructure, and new infrastructure is planned
  strategically
• All water cycle stakeholders to have their say,
  preventing any last minute objections
• The evidence needed by the planning process to
  agree development plans is available in the
  appropriate level of detail when it is needed

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Water cycle study outputs

• The output is a plan or strategy that provides
  the evidence base to support spatial planning
  decisions
• What development policies need to be in place
• Code for sustainable homes water targets
• Evidence for design standards, building codes
• Provide support/evidence for other policies
  eg. green infrastructure
• Policies to support water companies
• Dependence on national policy or legislation
  change?
• What water cycle infrastructure is needed to
  support development
• Who is responsible for funding, planning,
  delivering, operating and maintaining the
  infrastructure

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Why do I need a WCS
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Why do I need a WCS
3 million new homes by 2021 80 reduction in
carbon emissions by 2050 Tighter water quality
standards being drive by Water Framework Directive
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Emerging policy
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How do I carry out a WCS

• Authored by Halcrow for Environment Agency in
  partnership with Anglian Water, Government Office
  East of England
• Found on EA website
• - Planning and research
• - Planning resources
• Aimed at local planning authorities
• - WCS mandatory for new growth points
• Required by RSS policy in
  East of England
• Best practice elsewhere

http//www.environment-agency.gov.uk/research/plan
ning/33368.aspx
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How do I carry out a WCS

• CONTENTS
• What is a water cycle study?
• Water and planning policy background
• How do I carry out a water cycle study?
• Case studies and examples
• Frequently asked questions

http//www.environment-agency.gov.uk/research/plan
ning/33368.aspx
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The stages of a WCS
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Links to other plans

• A water cycle study is a framework for bringing
  together other plans and strategies
• The guidance provides advice
• on what other plans and
• policies to draw on. Eg.
• Development planning certainty decreases over
  time and can be unpredictable. A WCS partnership
  allows relevant stakeholders to be using the most
  appropriate information

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Evolving process

• Early WCS (eg. Corby WCS)
• development areas clearly defined
• identify environmental constraints
• Identify infrastructure required to overcome
  constraints
• strategy to agree funding, responsibility,
  delivery
• Next wave of WCS (eg Cambridge WCS)
• Influencing development location
• Spearheading sustainability agenda
• Develop planning policies to implement more
  sustainable development
• Balance between demand management and
  infrastructure provision
• Sustainability assessment or multi-criteria
  analysis to identify preferred solution

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WCS focus

• Basingstoke WCS
• Sustainability, water quality and ecology (WFD)

Bedford WCS Integration of surface water
management into WCS Impact of climate change
WCS scope set to local requirements, based on
needs of water cycle
WCS guidance is not prescriptive
Borden Whitehill ecotown WCS Sustainable
development Aspirational demand management
Swindon WCS Detailed water quality modelling and
STW assessment
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Conclusion

• Integrated, multidisciplinary teams
• Policy and process still evolving guidance is
  living draft
• Challenges we face require all stakeholders to
  move beyond comfort zone, and be aspirational
• But we need to be ensure plans
  are deliverable

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• Thank you for listening
• Any questions?
• watercyclestudies_at_halcrow.com